Heart Cake

I make this lovely cake about once a year. The first time was for Valentine's Day several years ago. Last time, it was to celebrate a recent wedding. This time for a wedding shower. It isn't hard to make if you are patient with a lot of steps. It's very small (6" pan), but it's rich enough that it can easily serve 12 or more. The cake itself is very moist, almost wet. There are only four tablespoons of flour in it. The leavening is whipped eggs whites that are folded into the chocolate mixture. The original recipe calls for amaretto in the buttercream filling, but Gary prefers Grand Marnier or Cointreau, and so I make that substitution a lot. That was the bride's preference this time, too. It was a little too warm when I served it at the party. The buttercream slices prettier when it is cool, like this. It's glazed with chocolate, cream and butter that is poured over the top and sets quite nicely.